When we remodeled our kitchen, I remember the day the sink came out.
Suddenly, my fridge was shoved into the living room, dishes were
boxed up, and the stove was disconnected. I thought, “This feels a lot like camping… except without the lake view.”
Eating out was fun for a while. Pizza nights, drive-through coffee, and dinners with friends gave us a break from the construction mess. But after a couple of weeks, it started to get old, and expensive. That’s when I realized I needed a better plan if I wanted to stay sane (and keep my family fed).
My Remodel Survival Must-Haves
Here are a few appliances and tools that saved me:
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Instant Pot: My all-time favorite. I cooked beans, rice, quinoa, and even hard-boiled eggs in it. (And yes, I learned the hard way to always set it on a cookie sheet to catch overflow!)
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Microwave & Toaster Oven: Small but mighty. Perfect for heating leftovers, roasting veggies, or even baking.
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Grill or Smoker: This became my outdoor kitchen. Batch-cooking meats ahead gave me quick dinners all week.
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Coffee Pot: Trust me on this one. Even if your “kitchen” is set up in the laundry room, starting the day with your favorite cup of coffee feels like normal life again.
And because I know how much the right appliances can save your sanity, I’m giving away a brand-new Instant Pot this month, keep reading for details!
What I Learned Along the Way
A few habits kept me sane during the chaos:
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Plan Ahead: Cooking legumes and proteins in bulk once or twice a week saved me from last-minute stress.
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Snack Smarter: Prepped fruit and veggies became grab-and-go staples.
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Stay Flexible: Some days, dinner went exactly as planned. Other days, construction dust won and we ordered pizza, and that was okay.
These little adjustments made life without a kitchen not just bearable, but actually manageable.
Want More Help?
I put together a free guide, Surviving a Remodel Without a Kitchen, filled with more of my favorite sanity-savers, recipes, and lessons learned from real remodels.
👉 Download the Guide Here and you’ll also be automatically entered into our October Giveaway for a brand-new Instant Pot!
Entries close October 25th. The winner will be announced October 31st, so download your guide today!
This sounds like what we had to do when we were building our house. We lived at my grandmother’s house without appliances. She had a living estate sale and sold everything. 😂 I wish I would’ve had an Instant Pot back then.